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by LostInTheCosmos
Summary: In which Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto have to readjust to life in post-war-Konoha, while having to learn what it means to be a team again(which is quite difficult when everyone has eyes on the Hokage seat). And somewhere along the way they manage to find the special someone that makes everything complete.


**Hello LostInTheCosmos here. This is my first fic so I'm really curious to see what all of you think. So please review. And also I'm a staunch SasuSaku fan.**

There was complete silence on the battlefield. Perhaps that was why Sakura could hear his gasps so well. The man could hardly breathe, barely getting by with short inhales and sharp wheezes, which, from what she could tell, were painful. Even as tired as she was, Sakura knew that she could save the man from death's grip. But her anger is overpowering the side of her that wants to rush to the man's side and relieve his pain. No, Sakura decided, she would not help the man who had turned her best friend's life into hell. In fact, the only way she was healing that man was if she could prolong the agony his dying body was feeling.

Obito, she had caught his name in the heat of the battle, stumbled back from her and her teammates. He only took a couple steps before he toppled to the ground in a messy heap. Sakura noticed that his breaths were getting heavier and shorter. At this rate he wouldn't last long, she gave him five, maybe six, minutes before his physical form gave up. Sakura remembered how only minutes ago, he was the all-powerful jinchuuriki of the juubi that had threatened to wipe out her way of life and now he would be remembered as nothing more than another villain that had tried to take over the world.

"Such a pity," Sakura mouthed out. From the lack of response from her teammates, Sakura was sure that only the intended target received the message. And from the way Obito's eyes narrowed, she could tell that her words struck home. He had realized also how his name would go down in history. Even though he wished for peace, he would just be chalked up with the rest of the evil-doers in shinobi history. And he too thought that he really was pitiful.

Sakura was brought out of her thoughts when she saw Naruto and Sasuke shift towards each other. They were sharing a look as if they were having a silent conversation. Naruto moved his line of sight from Sasuke to the Obito and there was pity in his eyes as well. From observing this scene and recalling memories of the battle, Sakura guessed that both Naruto and Sasuke knew Obito on a better level than just a random enemy. Perhaps she would ask them to fill her in later on.

"Naruto," the strained voice of Uchiha Obito broke the silence. Obito's body was starting to cave under the stress. She, Naruto, and Sasuke had beaten him blue and ripped the juubi out of him. Sakura is amazed that Obito could even breath much less speak.

The older Uchiha tried to speak again but broke out into a fit of coughs. He recovered and continued, "Don't think you have won Naruto. You destroyed the only path to peace in this wretched world."

Naruto's body tensed, showing how frustrated he was. His fists tightened as if he was trying to crush the very air with his hands. Sakura knew that Naruto wouldn't speak now, because all that would come out his mouth would be obscenities.

Another moment passed before Sakura spoke in Naruto's stead, "What peace?" All attention was now on Sakura and suddenly she wasn't so confident anymore. Sure Sakura was used to facing large crowds because of her master's duties as Hokage, but the undivided attention of the entire shinobi army was something else. It was humbling. But Sakura needed to defend her friend so she continued, "You're genjutsu would only have been a diminished, broken-down version of true peace. Without free will, peace is useless."

Obito chuckled, the rumble of his laughter becoming a gargled noise as he choked out blood. "It's obvious to me that you have not felt the pain this world has offered to us less fortunate. A girl of your upbringing would never understand."

Sakura's anger rose when Obito finished speaking, and with renewed fervor she began to argue with the dying man, "Upbringing does not matter in the choices we make. There was no reason for a girl of my upbringing to become a kunoichi. I could have chosen to grown up like a civilian girl but I chose to protect all I loved. My choices had nothing to do with how spoiled and protected as a child."

Sakura paused when the crowd around her broke out in whispers. She noticed that her teammates' attention was also on her. A meek smile found its way on to Naruto's face and his bright blues expressed gratitude, something that Sakura felt was unnecessary. It was her duty as his friend. Her other teammate's expression was still a mystery to her. She couldn't identify the emotion in his and his face was as blank as ever. It seems it will take time before she can read him as well as she was able to in her genin days.

"How foolish," Obito choked out, "you are still a little girl who understands nothing about this world." Sakura is frustrated by the man's bitter words. No matter how hard she could try to persuade him, Sakura knew that his opinion would not be swayed. She realizes that she is wasting time on a damned man. He was beyond saving.

"What you say does not matter anymore," Sakura sighs, "you lost and we won. You are dying and we are here to fix the mess you created. Your words have no weight so you can save your breath." Sakura assessed Obito's condition again. His diaphragm was barely expanding his chest cavity and he was losing too much blood from where Sasuke's chidori had pierced him. The bruises her punches and Naruto's rasengan had caused more stress than his body could handle. Sakura gave him seconds to live and if he was lucky maybe a couple minutes.

"Aren't you wasting a little too much time on a dying man," Obito quipped sarcastically, "after all you have to defeat Madara to really win this war. And judging by the pathetic condition you three and the rest of you forces are in, there really won't be much of a fight." Sakura could tell that he was feeling smug. He was thinking that even if he couldn't cast the genjutsu on the world someone else will.

Sakura guessed that he must have had his complete attention on her team during the battle or else he would have learned of the other Uchiha's fate. He had been sealed away long before they ripped the juubi out of Obito. The unexpected reinforcements really changed the battle.

For the first time since the battle ended, Naruto spoke, "Oh, you don't have to worry about. Baa-chan and the rest of the Kage took him down long ago. Then they along with the old Hokages sealed the juubi away. As Naruto spoke, Sakura recognized a feeling of lightness in his voice that she hasn't heard since they were genin. Sakura was happy that he could finally be free from the menace.

Naruto turned to her and smirked, "You're ready to go home ne, Sakura-chan." She answered him with a smile, a smile that nobody had seen since Sasuke left the village. It seems everything was coming back to the way it was supposed to be.

"No Naruto," Sakura responded as she held both her teammates' hands, "I'm ready to go home with my team."


End file.
